By Samuel Akpan
President Bola Tinubu has forwarded a Constitution Alteration Bill to the Senate aimed at establishing state police across Nigeria, marking a significant step in his push to decentralise security and tackle persistent threats like terrorism and banditry.
The bill is designed to amend key sections of the 1999 Constitution, providing a legal basis for the creation of state police forces throughout the country.
This initiative stems from the President’s consistent advocacy for constitutional changes that would allow states to take greater responsibility for maintaining security within their borders.
Persecondnews recalls that in February, Tinubu had called on the National Assembly to carry out the necessary constitutional amendments to introduce state police, arguing that the reform was essential for combating terrorism, banditry and other forms of insecurity plaguing the nation.
In his Democracy Day speech earlier this month, the President declared that terrorists, bandits and those backing them would be dealt with decisively under the law, with no leniency for those threatening the state’s stability.
While over 13,000 terrorists were neutralized last year—leading to a sharp decline in fatalities—the ongoing captivity of schoolchildren kidnapped in Oyo and Borno states remains a stark reminder of Nigeria’s security gaps.
In response to persistent insecurity, support for state policing is surging. Both the Senate and the House of Representatives are moving forward with constitutional amendments to shift law enforcement powers from the federal government to individual states.
Lawmakers are set to hold an emergency plenary session in the Senate today, with the aim of passing the bill and delivering what could become one of the most significant security sector reforms in Nigeria’s democratic era.
Details shortly…
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